By Angela Pope
INTERSKI is the world's largest gathering of snowsports instructors, occurring every four years since 1951. Hosted by a different country each time, it brings together instructors, trainers and industry professionals from around the world to share knowledge and learn from each other.
With representation from almost 40 countries, it provides an opportunity to learn about the latest techniques and trends in snowsports instruction and is the pinnacle of a snowsport instructor’s career representing their country.
In March 2023, the Australian Professional Snowsport Instructors (APSI) delegation, comprised of the best and brightest snowsports instructors, attended Interski in Levi, Finland. The Team was also accompanied by the largest group of supporters that the APSI has seen to date.
Levi Ski Resort was an outstanding location for skiing, with fantastic facilities and well-maintained slopes, perfectly groomed every morning. The Interski Congress at Levi was impeccably organised, with every detail carefully planned and executed.
The APSI National Team was selected in August 2022 and consists of six coaches and 10 team members across five disciplines. These instructors were carefully chosen based on their extensive experience and ability to represent Australia on the world stage. They have been working tirelessly to develop and test new concepts to enhance the organisation's teaching, technical, and customer service approach.
With representatives from most ski resorts across the country, this team brings a wealth of diverse perspectives and knowledge to the table. The efforts of this dedicated team have contributed greatly to the continued growth and success of APSI, both domestically and on the international stage.
Attending Interski brings immense benefits for national team members and the countries they represent. Knowledge gained can be shared among instructors, leading to better teaching methods that benefit students. The event allows for networking and idea exchange, leading to improved collaboration among ski schools and national associations, raising the overall level of instruction and resulting in better outcomes for students.
The Interski Congress has helped to revolutionise ski instruction globally by enabling the development of new teaching techniques and trends that have improved the quality of instruction globally. The theme of this year’s Congress was “The guest experience is everything”.
Different countries demonstrated how their association implemented their guest experience through the workshops, presentations and demonstrations. This programme covered a broad range of areas including technique, pedagogy, teaching methods, equipment trends, customer service approaches and marketing strategies across Alpine, Snowboard, Nordic, Telemark and Adaptive disciplines. It was amazing to see how different countries approached these topics and interesting to consider how the APSI might incorporate these ideas into our own approach.
The knowledge that we gain at Interski is incredibly diverse, with instructors from different countries and backgrounds sharing their unique perspectives and experiences. This diversity of knowledge helps to broaden our horizons and gives us new ideas and techniques to incorporate into our teaching methods. For example, New Zealand shared their new approach to teaching, and Great Britain presented a workshop on gender equality, diversity and inclusion, along with strategies to address those issues. This exposure to new ideas allows our association to evolve and keep up with leading pedagogy.
Following Interski, APSI works to ensure that the new knowledge gained by the APSI National Team is shared with its members through various channels. This includes presentations at national and member events, workshops, and training events. APSI also publishes articles and other resources on its website and social media channels to provide ongoing education and support.
In addition, the dissemination of knowledge among APSI members allows for greater consistency in teaching and safety standards across the industry. This helps to ensure that all lesson participants receive a high-quality experience, regardless of where they take their lessons.
The benefits of attending Interski will ultimately be felt by lesson participants in Australian resorts. Not only does it help us to improve our association, but it also promotes tourism and the snowsports industry as a whole. When instructors are trained to a high level, it leads to better experiences for lesson participants, which in turn can lead to increased interest and growth in the industry.
APSI's presence at Interski showcases our teaching methods to global industry leaders and having a strong presence is crucial to maintaining the validity and relevance of qualifications in the global snowsports industry. As APSI members frequently work internationally, it is paramount that their qualifications are recognised by employers across the globe.
Attending Interski 2023 was an incredible experience that we will never forget. As instructors, we understand that our students' enjoyment and success on the slopes depend on our teaching skills. Thus, we continuously strive to improve and expand our knowledge. Interski 2023 offered a unique opportunity to do just that, and we're excited to apply what we've learned to provide our students with even better snow experiences across all disciplines.
APSI National Team
Coaches
Paul Lorenz – Head Coach
Richard Jameson – Alpine Coach
Kylie Dwyer – Snowboard Coach
Ben Jackson – Telemark Coach
Zac Zaharias – Nordic (XC) Coach
Tom Hodges – Adaptive Coach
Alpine
Angela Pope – Thredbo
Emma Christiansen – Mt Hotham
James Crompton – Thredbo
Jeremy O’Sullivan – Mt Hotham
Nick Jones – Thredbo
Tom Langtry – Falls Creek
Snowboard
Jason Clauscen -Thredbo
Jon Steel – Mt Hotham
Telemark
Chris Lewczynski – Mt Hotham
Nordic (XC)
Jane Scheer – Perisher
------------------------